Study Desk

While praying to God our Father, we always remember your work of faith and your acts of love and your hope that never gives up in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Christian brothers, we know God loves you and that He has chosen you.

The Word of the Lord has been spoken by you in the countries of Macedonia and Greece. People everywhere know of your faith in God without our telling them.

The people themselves tell us how you received us when we came to you. They talk of how you turned to God from worshiping false gods. Now you worship the true and living God.

They tell us how you are waiting for His Son Jesus to come down from heaven. God raised Him from the dead. It is Jesus Who will save us from the anger of God that is coming.

Just before we came to you, we had been in the city of Philippi. You know how they worked against us and made us suffer. But God helped us preach the Good News to you without fear, even while many people hated us and made it hard for us.

God has allowed us to be trusted with the Good News. Because of this, we preach it to please God, not man. God tests and proves our hearts.

You know we never used smooth-sounding words. God knows we never tried to get money from you by preaching.

You know, and so does God, how pure and right and without blame we were among you who believe.

that you should live to please God. He is the One Who chose you to come into His holy nation and to share His shining-greatness.

We always thank God that when you heard the Word of God from us, you believed it. You did not receive it as from men, but you received it as the Word of God. That is what it is. It is at work in the lives of you who believe.

It was the Jews who killed the Lord Jesus and the early preachers. The Jews made it hard for us and made us leave. They do not please God and are working against all men.

And we sent Timothy to you. He works with us for God, teaching the Good News of Christ. We sent him to give strength and comfort to your faith.

How can we give God enough thanks for you for all the joy you give us?

May our God and Father Himself and the Lord Jesus Christ take us on our way to you.

May our God and Father make your hearts strong and without blame. May your hearts be without sin in God's sight when our Lord Jesus comes again with all those who belong to Him.

Christian brothers, we ask you, because of the Lord Jesus, to keep on living in a way that will please God. I have already told you how to grow in the Christian life.

God wants you to be holy. You must keep away from sex sins.

God wants each of you to use his body in the right way by keeping it holy and by respecting it.

You should not use it to please your own desires like the people who do not know God.